Improvement in middlings-purifiers



EL'lNITED STATES ANDREW HUNTER AND CHARLES E.

PATENT OFFICE.

wEITMoRE, or QUINoY, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MIDDLINGS-PURIFIERS..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,322, dated April 28, 1874; application tiled October 10, 1873.

To all whom it may concern.

Beit known that we, ANDREW HUNTER and CHARLES EDWARD WHITMORE, of Quincy, county of Adams, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Purifying Middlings', of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which.-

Figures l and 2 are end elevations. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the machine, showing the interior arrangement with the screen and supporting-links and the air-tube connecting With'the fan, &c.

Our invention consists in an' air-tube or trunk and a wind-spreader or distributer, combined with a middlings-purifier, so as to eX- tend through a series of compartments under the screen, the tube being connected with the mouth of a blast-fan, and provided with adjustable wind-openings. By this means the force ofthe wind is regulated in each section and the current uniformly distributed, as we will now proceed to describe.

A is the frame of the machine, which should be constructed in a substantial manner. B is a screen covered with wire and boltingcloth. .C are links for suspending screen B. D is a fan for forcing a current of air into tube E, and from said tube through the 'openings H and K. E is a tube that connects with the mouth of the fan. H are openings on the side of air-tube. K are openings on the top of the air-tube. L are rods for moving the slides O for opening or closing the openings K. N is a triangular piece placed over the openings K, thereby preventing the middlings from falling into the tube, also, for spreading the current of wind as it escapes from the tube. The partitions P are placed across and under-the bolt or screen B for regulating the force of the blasts or currents of vair passing up through the screen, and allowing a heavier blast, if required, to pass through one part of the screen than the other.

The operation of our improved machine may be described as follows: The machine being CAsE A.

sct in motion, the middlings to be purified are fed into the trough that is fastened onto the end of the screen, thence onto the bolt or screen B. The middlings as they enter the machine sift through rapidly, while the bran and brown specks are prevented from passing through the screen by the action of the wind from the blast-fan. The coarse bran moves off over the end of the screen, and the dust and fine particles are carried up and deposited in a dust-chamber. The fan being set in motion, the air is forced into the air-chamber, and passes into the compartment under the screen through the apertures or `perforations ofthe air-tube.

The partitions P are so arranged that the air cannot pass from one section into the otli- Y er, thereby securing in each section of the machine a suflicient current of air to remove the brown particles, according to their specific gravity, at the upper end. When the middlings are light a light blast is required, and in proportion to the coarseness of the middlin gs the openings are made in the air-tube. The air-tube E is arranged with slides in each section for opening or closing the openingsK; also, a covering over the openings K for preventing the middlings falling into the airtube. The covering or triangular piece N servesfor spreading the wind, so that an equal current will ,pass through the bolting-cloth.

The rods L are fastenedA to the 'slides O for regulating the quantity of wind that passes out of openings K into each compartment. This action of the currents of air passing out from the air-tube on the sides and top is pary ticularly valuable inits effect in having the force of the wind so regulated that each part ofthe screen will have a stronger or lighter current as the coarseness or iineness of them middlings require.

Having now described our improvements in middlings-purifiers, we wish to state we do not describe or claim those parts already patented by us in former patents; but

What we claim as new, and desire to se- -cure by Letters Patent, is-

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 5th day of July, A. D. 1873.

ANDREW HUNTER. CHARLES EDVARD VHITMORE.

Vitnesses (Elms. E. MINARD, WALTER SGOGGAN. 

